Variable mechanism for transmitting motion.



No.70l,603. A Patented lune 3, I902.

J. NIELSEN.

VARIABLE MECHANISM FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION.

, (Application filed. Aug. 99, 1901.) 0 M 3 Sheets-Shoot l.

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No. 70!,603. Patented June 3, |9o 2.

J. NIELSEN. VARIABLE MECHANISM FORTRANSMITTING MOTION.

(Application filed Aug. 22, 1901.) v

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No. '70I,603. f

J. NIELSEN.

VABIABLE'MEGHANISM FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION.

7 A lication filed Aug. 22, 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented June 3, I902.

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UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHANNES NIELSEN, OF GIESEGAARD, BY RINGSTED, DENMARK.

VARIABLE MECHANISM FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,603, dated June 3, 1902. Application filed August 22,1901. Serial No. 72,925. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHANNEs NIELSEN, machinist, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Giesegaard, by "Ringsted, Denmark, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Variable' Mechanism for Transmitting Motion, (for which I have applied for a patentin'Denmark, dated January 31, 1901; in Ger many,dated February 18, 1901; in Belgium, dated July29, 1901; in France, dated July 30, 1901, and in England, dated August 20, 1901,) of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to an arrangement for transmission of power where the moving force from a driving-shaft rotating with an even or variable speed is transmitted thus to a working shaft, that this one obtains either any speed of rotation or an even one, from 0 until the maximum speed conditional upon the construction of the engine, two-armed balances being inserted between the driving-shaft and the working shaft, the force acting upon the one arm of constant length, while the resistance acts upon the other arm, its point of attack upon-this one being moved in the first case by the person tending the engine, in the latter case automatically by means of the governor in connection with the working shaft.

The invention is shownon the drawings,

wherein- 1 Figures 1 and 2 show a constructional form for the power transmission arrangement, where the moving of the point of attack of the resistance takes place spontaneously-for instance, applicable to automobiles. Fig. 3 shows a detail. Figs. 4. and 5 show a constructional form for the arrangement whereby the governor of the working shaft automatically causes the moving of the point of attack of the resistance.

The power is in any known manner transmitted from the shaft of the motor to a shaft a, upon which are mounted cranksfor instance, three7c k k in such a way (see Fig. 1) that the one acts with full arm at the same time as the second one is in intermediate position and the third one close to dead-point, their points of attack being arranged at a mutual distance of one hundred and twenty degrees. By being thus mounted they follow one another, so that the driving force from the shaft or is without the least jerk by this means transmitted to the next elements. Each of the three cranks is by a link i t i operatively connected with the one end y of the one of three balances b 1) 19 which severally (see Figs. 1 and 2) are made of two parallel straight rods of fiat rectangular section, which rods are held at a suitable mutual distance, and each on the outside has a pin that rests in a fixed bearing, so that the balances can swing up and down as their one end y follows the up-and-down movements of the links. Owing to the above described way of mounting the cranks, the three balances will at the same. time, as regards oneanother, assume different positions, their oscillations being dependent upon the position of the crank in connection with the single balance at the given time. Each of the balances forms an oscillating guide for a block Z Z 1 sliding between its two rods and which can move from the point of suspension of the balance to its free end X. The block is constructed so that it cannot slide out of the balance, as shown in Fig. 3, and is byabolt firmly connected with a chain whose one part m m m is carried over and fastened to the one of three carrier-rollers r r 1*", arranged upon the working shaft 0, while the other part a n n is fastened to the one of three chain-wheels s s 5 keyed onto a reversing-shaft d, around which the chain at can be wound for such a piece of its length that the block connected with the chain can be pulled down from the outermost position at the free end X of the balance to the stopping position 0, just between the bearing-pins of the balance. The reversing-shaft d is by suitable intermediate links in connection either with a steering gear, which can be easily handled by the machinist, or with the governor of the working shaft-'- for instance, in the way described below--al1 according to whether the moving of the blocks Z l l is to take place spontaneously or automatically. For the sake of plainness the principle is shown by the arrangement of a twoarmed lever g h, whose one arm 9 pulls a chain c, wound upon a chain-pulley q, keyed onto the reversing-shaft, while the other arm 7b can be moved forward and backward by the machinist and in any known manner held in the outermost positions and several intermediate positions.

The carrier-wheels of the working shaft 0 are constructed as the known free-wheel for cycles,their bosses having three C-shaped cuts,in which are placed three friction-rollers jfijiwhich when the carrier-roller is turned in the working direction jam between the boss and the working shaft 0, and thereby takes the latter along, while they when the carrierrollers are turned against the working direction run free, so that the shaft 0 does not partake of the turning of the carrier-rollers. The carrier-rollers are turned, one after the other with equal intervals, in the working direction, so that the chains m,connected with the blocks Z, are during the oscillations of the balances rolled by the rollers to which they, as stated above, are connected. The carrier-rollers are turned,also one by one with equal intervals,

against the working direction, as they, when the working pull in the chains m, transmitted through the balances, ceases, are actuated by three springs f f f, fixed with the one end to the engine-frame (or elsewhere) and whose free ends are fastened each to one of the three carrier-rollers, the said springs being during the direct rotation of the carrier rollers wound upon disks firmly connected with the latter, and as soon as the working pull in the chains m, one by one, ceases turn around the carrier-rollers, one by one, against the working direction. The chains m are thus held constantly tight, as they immediately after having worked are wound around the disks firmly connected with the carrier-rollers.

In order to prevent the working shaft from one reason or another (exterior) from turning against the working direction, which would cause the springsf to burst and would be inconsistent with the whole arrangement for transmission of power, there is, besides the three free carrier-rollers already mentioned, also a fourth roller 11 of the same construction, but which is firmly connected with the engine-frame, thus acting as an automatic guard, which immediately acts, when the working shaft will rotate against the working direction, the three friction rollers of the fixed roller then jamming between its boss and the working shaft 0.

lllamzer of act2'0n.-The motor is supposed to be working, the crank-shaft consequently rotating, the balances oscillating. The arrangement then acts in the following manner: If the blocks Z be supposed to assume the positions in the pin-axis of the three balances, the rotation of the crank-shaft a is not transmitted to the working shaft 0, as the oscillations of the balances are not then able to cause a pull in the chains m. When then the upper arm 72. ofthe leverg h is turned slightly, (to the left in Fig. 1,) the reversing-shaft (Z, and with it the chain-pulleys s, will also be turned a little, the chains m will be slacked, and the tightening of the springs fwill then cause the blocks Z to be pulled a small piece proportionate with the turning of the lever (to the left) outward against the free end of the balances to points Z Z Z which lie at the same distance from the pin-axis of the balances. At the same time a pull takes place in the chains m the carrier-rollers 7' turn in the direct-rotation direction and the working shaft 0 commences to rotate very slowly, while the .pointsl during the oscillation of the balances form very small arcs of circles, wherefore the carrier-rollers r move very little only for each stroke of the crank. The arm 0, upon which the resistance acts, is only small when compared with the arm 0 7 of the force, and the advantage is then obtained when starting the motor that the rotation of the working shaft commences evenly and smoothly and that the whole energy of the motor can be used for overpowering the initial inertia of the working machine. The arrangement of the three cranks, with appurtenant balances, chains, and carrier-rollers, guarantee the extremely easy travel of the working machine, as the actions of the carrier-rollers upon the working shaft work gradually into one another. If the upper arm h of the lever is moved farther, (to the left,) the blocks lwill then, guided in the balances, travel farther out toward the free ends X of these, and the carrier-rollers receive then for each stroke of the crank a longer turning, from which it follows that the working shaft 0 will rotate quicker. The springs f will constantly take care that the chains 171 after the pull are wound around the disks of the carrier-rollers and are held tightened, so that the position of the blocks upon the balances are only shifted when the lever g h, and with it the reversingshaft (1, is turned. When by transmission of the driving force from an evenly-rotating driving-shaft to the working shaft this one has reached the desired speed of rotation, the lever g his released and will by itself remain standing, so that the blocks l can as desired be set at the points 0 l 2 3, &c., X, of the free arm of the balances. If it be desired again to reduce the speed of rotation of the working shaft, the blocks Z are by means of the reversing-shaft again pulled back, and the complete uncoupling of the working shaft will then take place, when the blocks assume the position just between thev pin-bearings of the balances. When the arrangement for transmission of power is used for transmitting the driving force from a driving-shaft rotating with a varying speed-for instance,a windmill-shaftto a working shaft which is to rotate with an even speed, the shifting of the blocks takes place automatically, they being by suitable double gears connected with the governor of the working shaft. An arrangement to this effect and ICC shown as an exampl'ewill be seen from Figs. 4 and 5. r

The governor R is connected with the working shaft 0 by belt or cord. The reversingshaft (1 carries a worm-wheel H, that gears with a worm S at the one end of a shaft (1, which at the other end carries a conicaltoothed wheel T. This toothed wheel gears with two other conical-toothed wheels 13 and C, which run free around a shaft (1, that by belt or cord is connected with the working shaft 0 and to which they can be separately coupled by means of a casing F, placed around the shaft and movable only in the longitudinal direction of this one, and which at both ends has conical friction-planes that are made to catch in over corresponding pins, respectively, upon the toothed wheel B and the toothed wheel' C, all according to whether the casing F be pushedto the one or to the other side, which pushing is done by one with the working shaft connected governor, as this one acts upon the one arm E of a two-armed lever bent into a right angle, and whose other arm G,with a fork or a ring,which does not pre vent the free rotation of the casing E, surrounds this one. It is then evident that the blocks Z-will be drawn in toward the pin-axis of the balances or be carried out toward their free ends X,all according to whether the working shaft increases or decreases in speed as its governor by means of the lever E G shifts the casing F, so that the one or the other of the two toothed Wheels B and O is brought to gear with the toothed wheel T, so that thisone, and with it the reversing-shaftd,'is brought to rotate,

respectively, in the one or the other direction. In order to prevent this arrangement from acting in an incorrect manner when the blocks Z have reached the outermost positions on the balances, the. lever E G is disconnected automatically thereby, and the arm E is caught and suspended by a cord which over a roller is. carried to the reversing-shaftd, around which it is completely wound during the travel of the blocks out to the free ends X of the balances. As the arm E is caught the casing F is disconnected from gearing with the toothed wheel concerned and the rotation of the reversing-shaft stops until it is again brought to rotate in the opposite direction, when the working shaft 0 will take speed, and its governor thereby during its return travel again reaches the lever-arm E. This automatically-acting transmission and regulating arrangement is greatly used in practice everywhere Where a variable driving force is usedfor instance, wind force; but the power-transmission arrangement for transmission of the driving force from an evenly-rotating driving-shaft to a working shaft, which can be made to rotate at any speed, is of extremely great importance for 'many working machines and is, among others, extremely well applicable to autombiles, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) it being possible by this transmission arrangement partly to vary the moving speed in so high a degree, partly to utilize the living force which the running automobile has. It is also in the highest degree advantageous that the motor can be If the automobile is to be started, the blocks are set at a point of the balances immediately close to the resting-points of these. The great resistance to be overcome immediately at the starting of the automobile has then a short arm only to act upon and will consequently be easier overcome by the driving force. -When their the automobile has started, the blocks are moved so far out upon the balances that the desired speed is obtained. The living force of the automobile now helps to overcome the rolling resistance, and no greater power of the driving-engine is required for obtaining the increased, speed. When driving uphill or on heavy roads, the effect .of the motor will alsowithin fair bounds of course-sufiice when the blocks are pulled in toward the pin-axis of the balances, so that the arm of the resistance grows small. An automobile supplied with the here-described arrangement for transmission of power need, consequently, nota motor which when the automobile is started or when driven uphill or on heavy roads shall be able to develop an essentially greater energy than is required on good level roads to reach the maximum speed and transporting power required from the automobile, and the driver has it in his hand quickly and easily to alter the speed of the automobile and completely to stop it without stopping the motor. The arrangement of the fixed, stopping-roller upon the axle (the working shaft) ofiers, for instance, the advantage that the automobile can stop during driving uphill and on the whole cannot back unless the wheels are disconnected from connection with the axle. It being, however, in certain circumstances necessary to be able to pull the automobile backward the applicableness of'the above-described'transmission of power to automobiles is dependent upon that the wheels can quickly and easily be uncoupled from the axle, which,

for instance, can be done by the arrangement to the right or to the left around respectively the right or left wheel, as this one is uncoupled and only the other one-the left or right wheelworks-, an ability of turning which'no automobile hitherto existing has possessed' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for converting or transmitting motion, a driving crank-shaft, a rocking lever or balance having one end operatively connected with said crank-shaft, a block slidably guided by said balance, a driven shaft, a

- ratchet-drum carried by said driven shaft, a

chain having one end connected to said drum and its intermediate portion connected to said block, and means connected with the other end of the chain for sliding the block toward the fulcrum of the lever, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, a driving crank-shaft, a plurality of rocking levers or balances operatively connected thereto, sliding blocks guided on said balances, a driven shaft, ratchet-drums mounted on said shaft, idler-pulleys in rear of the fulcrums of said balances, chains secured to the drums and passing over said idler-pulleys and having their intermediate portions connected with JOHANNES NIELSEN.

Witnesses:

A. TOUTSEY, J. C. JACOBSEN. 

